should be adequate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "should be adequate" is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it to express that something should have enough resources, skills, or features to be satisfactory. For example, "The budget allocated for this project should be adequate to cover all necessary expenses."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

There should be adequate financial resources to wage the campaign.

The New Yorker

"It should be adequate to say that our customer is not surprised by this".

The New York Times

"Emergency measures that National Grid have put in place should be adequate for this winter.

The Guardian - Business

There should be adequate opportunity to learn, with adequate time and quality of opportunities.

Cornell University

There should be adequate steel areas so as to keep the magnetic field intensity low.

Advances in Building Technology Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Building Technology 4–6 December 2002, Hong Kong, China

Use of finger sensors for routine postanesthesia monitoring should be adequate in the majority of patients.

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing

Power should be adequate, or lack of power (if inevitable) should be clearly stated.

Environmental Research

The pressure should be adequate to force the grout into the surrounding soil, to provide a good soil-grout bond.

Geotechnical Engineering Calculations and Rules of Thumb

Ordinary trial procedures, several justices suggested, should be adequate to address the potential unreliability of eyewitness identifications.

The New York Times

Carney says that Bank has a wide range of tools, and as he sits here today he feels they are "considerable" and should be adequate.

The Guardian - Business

In the memorandum, Mr. Roberts said the legal standard used in most injury cases, negligence, should be adequate to protect the press.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "should be adequate" when you want to express that something is expected to meet the necessary requirements or fulfill a specific purpose without excess. It's a balanced way to convey sufficiency.

Common error

Avoid using "should be adequate" when a higher degree of certainty or excellence is required. If something must be exceptionally effective, opt for phrases that convey superior performance rather than mere adequacy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should be adequate" functions as a modal expression indicating an expectation or assessment of sufficiency. It combines the modal verb 'should' with the descriptive phrase 'be adequate' to suggest that something is expected to meet the necessary requirements, as supported by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

25%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Academia

4%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "should be adequate" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to convey an expectation or assessment of sufficiency. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for expressing that something is expected to meet necessary requirements without exceeding them. With a neutral register, the phrase appears across various contexts, from scientific literature to news articles, indicating its versatility. While "should be adequate" implies a balanced assessment of sufficiency, writers should avoid using it when a higher degree of certainty or excellence is required, opting for stronger phrases instead. Ultimately, understanding the nuances of "should be adequate" allows for its effective use in conveying measured expectations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ought to suffice

Replaces "should be" with "ought to", which carries a similar sense of obligation or expectation, and "adequate" with "suffice", emphasizing meeting a minimum requirement.

is expected to be enough

Rephrases the expression to highlight the expectation of sufficiency, rather than a conditional adequacy.

is likely to be sufficient

Substitutes "should be" with "is likely to be", indicating a probability rather than a recommendation or expectation, and "adequate" with "sufficient", stressing completeness.

is presumed to be satisfactory

Changes the tone to one of presumption, implying acceptance until proven otherwise, and uses "satisfactory" instead of "adequate", suggesting a level of acceptance.

is considered to be fitting

Replaces "adequate" with "fitting", implying appropriateness in addition to sufficiency.

is deemed to be acceptable

Shifts the focus to a formal judgment of acceptability, rather than a general assessment of adequacy.

is estimated to be ample

Emphasizes a numerical assessment of plenty, using "ample" instead of "adequate" to denote abundance.

is judged to be suitable

Highlights a formal evaluation process leading to a determination of suitability, changing the passive assessment of adequacy to an active judgment.

is understood to be competent

Implies a general agreement on the capability of something, rather than merely its adequacy.

is anticipated to be up to par

Uses an idiomatic expression to suggest meeting a required standard, which changes the tone and level of formality.

FAQs

How can I use "should be adequate" in a sentence?

You can use "should be adequate" to indicate that something is expected to meet the necessary requirements. For example, "The allocated budget "should be adequate" for the project's initial phase."

What can I say instead of "should be adequate"?

You can use alternatives like "ought to suffice", "is likely to be sufficient", or "is expected to be enough" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "should be adequate" or "should be sufficient"?

Both ""should be adequate"" and "should be sufficient" are correct and often interchangeable. "Adequate" implies meeting a minimum requirement, while "sufficient" suggests meeting the needs fully.

What's the difference between "should be adequate" and "must be adequate"?

"Should be adequate" suggests an expectation or recommendation that something meets the requirements. "Must be adequate" implies a necessity or strict requirement with no room for compromise.